Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-01-22
LETTER FROM COLORADO.

Conductors, and / suddenly woke to
find that instead Of being in dear
old Martlnsburg, along the banks of
the Tuscarora, I was being wbirled
along at forty miles an hour, over
the vast plateaus of eastern Color
ado,-treeless and bare, with here
and there an Indian iepee or adobe
hut and few lone. forsaken looking
animals lowering around with their
heads turned away from the wind,
or perhaps an occasional jack rab-
bit, sitting on his hunkers, his long
ears standing erect with astonish-
ment, as we thunder past. The
Tuscarora was family initiated by
one of those water courses which at
this season has the appearance OF
dry alkalescent sand between the
deep cut banks; but which in the
| Spring win often in single hour,
change into raging, foaming tor
rent, the very emblem of destruction,
bearing away bridges, buildings,
cattle and human beings, in the
yawning gulf to swell the waters of
the treacherous South Platte. Away
in the west stand those marvels of
the power of the Creator, the Rocky
Mountains,-PIke's Peak standing
like watchful sentinel over them
all 1.-THE white caps kissed by the
rays of the glorious King of Day,
and stretching away and away,
peak after peak, till they disappear
in the deep blue sky.
But the traveller must turn from
this romantic scene and apply him.
self to the more practical operation
of preparing for an entrance into
that city, which has been rightly
named the Paris of America, Den
yer. In few moments the rattle
of switches, the glimpses of tall
smoky buildings, taller chimneys
and steaming locomotives, warn us
that the distance to our first halt
has been reduced to a minimum ;
and stepping from the long train,
we find ourselves at our first halting
place, and in the union depot, an
elegant, commodions building, of
cut grey-stone, with towers and ter
rets and handsome grass plats in
front, which add marvelously to the
beauty of the whole effect.
Denver IS city offine residences,
imposing broad streets and beauti-
full women. Nothing is cramped for
space. The broad streets admit a
food of bright sunshine, and the
piercing winds of the Missouri
River change into a soft breeze
which makes a light overcoat just
comfortable. The city is very level
and nicely laid out; the streets are
well graded and lined with good
side walks. OF the commercial i'm
portance, | will say more hereafter.
Leaving the depot we found fine
breakfast awaiting us at the St.
James. This we at once attacked
and having despatched it to the sat
isfaction of all concerned, we saun-
tered out to view the sights
In short time we are In sight OF
the capital building. This has been
completed quite recently and is a
credit to the western energy and
enterprise of the Colorado people,
From the cupola one catches a
birds-eye-view of the city and its
suburban residences. There extends
for miles, on three sides of the city,
vast amount of almost uninhabited
country, stretching away till lost in
the horizon; while on the west the
foothills thirty miles away seem to
be within an hours walk. The air
is light and so clear that the noun.
tains are robbed of that blueness so
familiar to those who live near the
Alleghanies. Nothing in this coun-
try can equal the deception of dis
tances, except that distinctive west
ern institution, the Faro Bank. In.
deed one of our party was so CON-
pletely misled, that he offered a
wager of 500 to $40 that he could
walk there and back in hours,
which was taken up and no more
seen of him until six O'Clock, when
we found him trying to recover his
pecuniary loss OF the morning by
betting a new arrival that the house
ON the corner diagonally opposite
the hotel was three quarters of a
mile away; though as he afterwards
mournfully remarked, he believed
he was the only fool of that kind in
the CITY,"
Denver is the metropolis of Color
ado. Her future is bright with
promise. Ifyou will take a glance
at the map, you will see that there
is vast amount of territory tribu-
tary to her. The boom Of immigra-
ton is now in western Nebraska and
Kansas. This trade naturally will
flow into her markets and enrich
her people. Denver is over 600
miles west of any commercial center,
and is the center of trade for Col
Orado and parts of New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming,
Kansas and Nebraska. Her COM
merce already extensive is rapidly
increasing as the food of immigra-
ton rushes westward. The miner
here exchanges that deceptive metal
for which he has endured privations,
hardships and even risked life itself
to obtain. The coal trade is in its
infancy yet. The deposits of anthra.
cite coal are inestimable; and al.
most without doubt, Denver will
rival Scranton DC a coptar for fhat
valuable product. Vast strata jut
out like so much rock, and equal
some of our own famous BEDS
Eventually these will supply the
whole west with that variety CT coal.
Railroad after railroad is creeping
across the country, and their goal is
| Denver. Already these are of no